Time is Cruel
by TheKingdomCome
Summary: After being made the new god of Time following Kronos' death, Percy must contend with loss, anger, and a slew of other emotions, as he comes to grips with his new life. Will he live in the past? Will he struggle with the future? Will he face the present? M for language and violence/graphic themes right now, possible sexual situations/themes in the future.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! So this is my first attempt at anything fanfic.**

 **I took a challenge posted by Juubi Ookami No Kami, if you need context or just want to check some of their stuff out, go on ahead. I hope this is a good answer to the challenge. And if you want to go and give the challenge a try, go ahead, I want to read all the other entries too.**

 **I plan for this story to get a little dark. Okay not a little, but I feel like that is the best way it can be a successful story. So sorry for anyone who might take issue with it.**

 **And, of course, Rick Riordan owns anything and everything Percy Jackson related. No copyright infringement intended.**

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It was quiet in the streets of Manhattan. The normal hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps was truly dead at the moment. This was mainly for two reasons: the first being the storms and destruction caused by Typhon's attack had really taken the spirit out of the American people for some time, and indoors sounded like a far better place to be. The second reason it was so quiet was because nothing was moving at all, in any way. Percy liked it when all was quiet like this.

He was walking through central park like this to clear his mind. So much had happened in recent memory, and most of it he would like to forget. But time goes on, and with it, Percy.

As the new god of Time, this was one of many realizations he had made. He could see the true heart of a warrior, but he could not prevent their death. He could bestow such formidable powers to rival both Achilles and himself during the Titan War, yet he couldn't stop the killing blow from taking effect. Sword, arrow, spear, gun, poison, _dagger_ …he could only watch. The deceased may still win should he choose, but their fate would be sealed anyway. So, what was the point.

As he neared the border of the park, he decided to let time flow again. He would need a clear head for the meeting later, and sulking would only lead to moping, which would lead to dwelling, which would lead to remembering. _Gods I don't want to remember…_

The city was awake again in the blink of an eye. Percy continued to walk, this time heading toward the Empire State Building. As he neared the front doors, a rumble reminded him that even as a god, he still needed to eat. Pulling out a protein bar from the pocket of his black hoodie, he unwrapped it, revealing it to be a bar of pure ambrosia. He nibbled on it as he easily slipped unnoticed into the elevator, before pressing the button indicating Olympus.

He had already finished his god-food bar by the time the door _dinged_ to announce his arrival to his new home. To him, however, it was anything but. Walking along the footpath towards the central pantheon, Percy carelessly tossed the wrapper into the grass, which earned him disapproving looks from the local satyrs.

Noticing and sensing their contempt, Percy flashed them a look of his own, which was terrifying enough for the satyrs to scamper off for shelter. It's not that his god-form was meant to scare them, it just had that effect. His normally sea green eyes would turn a charcoal black, and his face would become wispy, as if he were dissolving away. _Time does tend to fade, doesn't it?_ He thought with a melancholic chuckle.

Olympus was still in shambles. Considering how close Kronos had come to usurping the Olympians of everything, it was no wonder their home had taken a beating as well. Buildings strewn about, crumbled to pieces, some still ablaze in Greek Fire. It would take quite some time and nothing short of a miracle to fix this place up.

Arriving at the central pantheon that was acting as the meeting place of the Olympians, Percy took his seat at the back, wanting to stray away from prying eyes. And there would be many eyes. Every god had been recalled into service. Every spirit who presided over every river, mountain, desert, etc. The amphitheater was filled to the brim. Percy's wish for anonymity didn't matter anyway. _They_ could sense he had arrived.

Down on the stage, the twelve Olympians sat around a stone table, each looked far worse for wear. Zeus stood to begin the meeting.

"Now that everyone is here, we will commence. Poseidon! Has Triton's cavalry overtaken Oceanus's main camp yet?" Zeus was not one to linger around, instead wanting to fly right into business.

His brother, on the other hand, was roused from a very sad expression upon being addressed. "What? Oh! Yes, brother. Oceanus is being held in my dungeon until I return to escort him back to his damnation personally." The sad look returned once his report was finished. Zeus remained none the wiser.

"Good. See to it that he boils in Tartarus for another hundred thousand years. Hades, brother! Have you and your son returned order to your realm yet, or are you incompetent in this regard!" Zeus was also not one to beat around the bush.

"For fuck's sake, brother! It's two vs. two million. We can get it done, hell, we would probably be close now, but being _summoned_ away to status meetings every other day tends to slow progress." Hades' voice was full of contempt, equaling that which was felt by Zeus.

The two divines shared a moment of utter hate before the king of the gods had simmered down enough for the meeting to continue.

"Very well. Carry on at you languishing pace, but I will expect far more progress by the next meeting, which you _will_ attend." Hades' glare could have petrified a gorgon; his hate was so intense. Zeus simply carried on.

"Everyone else, tomorrow will begin as usual, join with your assigned Olympian and aide in the rebuild and reorder effort." Zeus was about to pound his staff, signifying the end of the meeting, when Hera pretended to clear her throat.

Looking to his sister-wife, Zeus followed her eyes to the top of the amphitheater. _Him_. Zeus pinched the brim of his nose in sincere irritation.

He sighed, "One last order of business. I must inform you all that we have a new member to godhood. _Perseus Jackson_! Upon the death of my father Kronos, and being his slayer, you have inherited his power, decreed by the Fates. Everyone, congratulate him if you must. The nymphs will serve food down at the pavilion, eat if you so choose. We're done here." With a loud crash, his staff bounced upon the concrete, ending the divine meeting.

"Damnit…" Percy whispered under his breathe. He just wanted out of there. Wanted to be anywhere but Olympus. But many things are expected of a god. Showing up to an obligation was usually one of them.

Percy quickly got to his feet and attempted to leave for the small hut he had been given should he need a living space on Olympus. Instead, he found himself walking to the throne room.

Once he realized where his feet had led him, he shed his mortal attire, choosing to walk this cursed floor only as a depressed, moody, recently promoted god should. His eyes took on their charcoal color. His body became wispy again, and instead of his black hoody and jeans, the full bronze armor of a true Greek took its place. As he was still getting used to this form, along with all of the power it held, he hadn't fully figured it out.

He took his new scythe from his hip and rested it against a pillar. Riptide had been lost during the battle, and upon Percy's ascension, it instead returned to its former owner in Chiron. Now Backbiter belonged to Percy, though he personally detested the name. He hadn't quite gotten around to changing it yet.

Percy walked to the railing overlooking the clouds to the West. The sun was fully down, and glow of the torches from Olympus behind him hadn't quite reached his position. It was dark and silent. For a little while.

"Perseus…" a voice said with some hesitation behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was, even if it surprised him slightly.

"Athena. How kind of you to greet me. Come to _congratulate_ me on my hard fought godhood?" He knew she would pick up the easily apparent sarcasm. After all, her daughter would have…

"Perseus," her voice was soft, "Perseus look to me."

Percy slowly turned to face the mother of the only girl he would ever love. She was also the mother of the love he had lost. There were no tears in her eyes. Just a look similar to the sadness he had felt night and day now. She was in her human-like god form, toga and everything.

"Perseus, there is nothing you could have done. You must see this and move on!" Her voice had risen some, mostly to keep her emotions in check. Even for a god, losing a child was difficult to handle.

Percy's voice chose not to raise, instead remaining eerily quiet.

"Was there nothing, Athena? The dagger that I personally handed to Luke. That was nothing then? Huh…you gods sure can see past truth if you really want to." Percy proceeded to turn back to the railing.

The energy being emitted between the two divines was beginning to be noticed by some of the divines that had chosen to eat. The raw emotion fueling raw power was unprecedented.

Athena was unused to what she perceived as disrespect, especially in such a trying time for her as well.

"Do you think I do not hurt either! She was my daughter! I see the truth far more clearly than you can hope to…"

"YOU SEE NOTHING!" Sadness gave in to anger. And time can be patient as long as it takes to build up. Percy was in Athena's face before she even knew it.

" _YOU_ were not there to see her struggle watching her friend serve Kronos! _YOU_ were not there to see her find comfort in _ME_! _YOU_ were not there to see the pride in her eyes when I gave Luke the dagger! _YOU_ were not there to see her eyes cloud over as the dagger ENTERED HER HEART! Right where you stand! All you deemed appropriate was a fucking baseball cap! Tell me then what you think you see?"

Athena was predictably taken aback, as was the entire pantheon of gods who had witnessed the outburst. Zeus prepared to step into the fray, only to be halted by a steady arm from Poseidon. Though Zeus personally disliked his brother's offspring, he knew it would be fool hearty to interfere.

"P-Perseus…I didn't mean…" Athena couldn't control the tears as she knew he was right.

The anger subsided from Percy's face, but the sadness remained. Raising his voice enough for the assembly to hear, he addressed everyone.

"No more congratulations, please."

Percy proceeded to leave the emotionally distraught Athena, along with the rest of the gods in attendance, as he walked back for the elevator. Just before the doors closed, he saw one face make eye contact with him. A sad face. _Father…_

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 **Okay everyone. What did yall think? Please review, and I'll try and upload the next chapter when I get a chance, hopefully soon! Anyway, thanks for giving it the time of day!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! So, I was bored, decided to go ahead and drop chapter 2 on yall. I'm going to try to move to a weekly schedule if possible, but right now I'm just testing the waters, so to speak.**

 **Thank you to the ones who reviewed, I really appreciated it. I tried to answer some of your questions, but mostly I want to let the story answer them. I know I'm kind of George R. R. Martin-ing the pacing right now, but I really, really don't want to get caught rushing these stories.**

 **Anyway, still got a few chapters of setting the stage, but then I'm really planning to pick it up...quickly (and I just said no rushing *shrugs*).**

 **All PJO content belongs to Rick Riordan. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Deep down Percy hadn't meant to be so harsh with Athena, but his temper had quickly boiled over. They had lost so many during the battle, with very little help from the gods, and to be made one, almost completely without his own consent, seemed like a slap in the face. Sympathy from a goddess whom Percy knew wasn't a fan of him just made the slap sting more.

The elevator _dinged_ as he walked into the lobby of the Empire State Building. The ever scowling security guard simply nodded to Percy as he made his way out, now dressed in his mortal attire once more. No one else would notice he had ever been there, let alone question his reasoning.

Once he was out of the building, Percy breathed in the cool night air. He could smell the sea on the wind, and deciding he would much rather not have any company tonight, he began walking down 34th street to the East River.

It didn't take long before he reached the water. Looking into the black, nighttime waves, Percy frowned into his reflection. There was someone next to him. Another someone he didn't feel like talking to.

"Father. What brings you to the surface tonight? I would have thought you'd be either still on Olympus or back in your palace."

Poseidon gave a quick smile to arguably his favorite child. "Yes, I suppose those are places one would expect me to be found, aren't they?"

Percy gave a small huff of a laugh, before the conversation turned silent again. The older of the gods broke it first.

"Percy…I know this is difficult to come to terms with. Believe me, I have had my fair share of loss in triumph…"

"Dad…" Percy tried to cut him off to no avail.

"No son, I need you to listen. What you are feeling right now, is what almost every other god and goddess up on that blasted mountain has felt at some point in our long lives. I have had eons to experience this pain. You have only had sixteen years." Poseidon's voice was stern, but comforting. He was trying to help his son see reason.

"You lost someone very close to you, a piece of your heart, right?"

"Yes." Percy answered his father without looking at him. He just continued to stare out into the water, wishing he was in _there_ rather than up _here_.

"I know this feeling. Think of all of the sons and daughters of the Sea God that have come before you. Now think of their mothers. Amphitrite is the only one who will be with me until my existence ends. So, there are multiple holes in my heart as well. Your own mother will be one of them when she passes." Percy cringed slightly at the mention of his mother's undeniable demise, but relaxed upon realizing he will inevitably witness it as well.

Poseidon continued, his voice laced with sad memories. "The demigods are so fixated on the idea that we do not care, or that we simply choose not to help in any way. We want to help, and it hurts unimaginably to stand idle. As a new divine, you must come to terms with this yourself. I know right now you are grieving, but eternity is far too long for that. Find something to keep you busy, until the time comes again when you are happy."

Percy accepted at his father's words, but he knew it would still take some time to fully understand his meaning. "Thank you, father. I will take your words into consideration." Poseidon frowned at his return to such formality, but conceded it was just his son trying to remain in control of his emotions.

They stood in silence for some time, both enjoying the sound of the waves splashing against the concrete of the sea wall. Time may be Percy's primary domain now, but the water would always be his first love.

Finally, Poseidon once again broke the silence.

"Son, I must go. Remember, if you are ever wanting, if you ever need help…adjusting to this…just call upon me. Gods have many ways of communicating, far more than mortals." He winked with a smile before turning to walk back up to the street. He stopped, however, only a few steps away.

"One last thing, son. Why did you choose to take the elevator and _walk_ here?"

Percy simply smiled. "Force of habit. I'm not used to flashing away somewhere in the blink of an eye… "Percy turned to see that Poseidon was gone.

"Just like that." he sighed, suddenly alone again.

Percy put his face in his hands, and stood for a moment, contemplating in silence. Poseidon had been right about one thing. He needed something to take his mind off of…everything. As he searched his mind for any kind of busy work, he remembered that, as he had only recently been made a god, he did not have any assignments in the restoration efforts.

 _I think I'll pay the camp a visit. See if there's anywhere I can help out…_

Stepping away from the dock, Percy looked over his shoulder to ensure no one was watching. It really made no difference, but this gave a human quality to an otherwise godly power. Seeing no one was in sight, Percy closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and first thought of his bed in Cabin #3. After a moment of contemplation, however, Percy realized it might be odd for him to just appear out of thin air inside the camp. Deciding instead to walk into camp non-threateningly, Percy thought of the forest within the camp's borders.

Upon opening his eyes again, that was exactly where he stood. He felt a little disoriented at first, but, upon gaining his bearings, he realized just where he was. This was the place he had healed himself during his first capture the flag drill. This is one of the first places that pointed to his divine heritage. This was home.

Setting off towards the direction of the camp, Percy took in a deep breath. After having spent time recovering on Mt. Olympus, and after the revelations of his new _appointment_ , it was nice to have some normality. Camp Half Blood had been spared major damage during the battle, and as such, only a few repairs were needed. It was the emotional trauma that needed the most mending.

As he began to near the tree line, Percy's senses immediately went on high alert. Something wasn't right. Looking to see if what was causing him unease was behind him, Percy turned just in time to spot the large shadow bound between trees. Now, it wasn't hell hound large, but it wasn't your average house dog either. It was something wild.

Reaching into his pocket, Percy pulled the switchblade that was Backbiter's peaceful form, and flipping the switch, the bronze and steel scythe sprang out into its full glory.

Percy now allowed his god form to show; he couldn't be too careful, not with followers of Kronos's uprising still at large. Taking large steps back into the forest, the bronze metal on his body _clinking_ in the darkness, Percy was ready to slash at anything that would jump out at him. What he wasn't ready for, was a full grown, black wolf slowly and calmly padding out to meet him. Percy could sense no harm or malice emitting from the beast, but instead… _affection_?

"Uh…good doggy…" Percy nervously said as he reached to scratch behind the wolf's ears. It turned its head, reciprocating the attention, before sitting and looking directly at him.

"Okay…shoo! Go on…go home!" The wolf just tilted its head to the left, then to the right, as if trying to understand what he was saying.

 _Well this must be an interesting sight._ Percy thought as it was apparent the wolf was not going to attack…yet.

 _A newly minted god of Time, scared out of his wits by a full grown wolf, which is sitting like it is waiting for a treat. Weird._

"Okay…wolf? I'm leaving now. You can't follow me. Do you understand? Don't follow."

As if on cue, the pitch black wolf got back up and bound away, lost in the shadows of the forest floor.

 _Weirder._

Percy reverted back to his teenage body, and flipped the switch on Backbiter, letting it condense back into a normal, modern switchblade. Turning once more towards the camp, Percy began walking again until he reached the tree line. Campers had begun to gather near, no doubt drawn to the commotion by the flash of Percy revealing his god form.

The first to meet him, of course, was Grover.

"Percy?" his friend asked with trepidation.

"Grover!" Percy smiled back to him.

The two met at half the distance. Taking him into a strong bear hug, Percy frowned as he could feel Grover sobbing into his shoulder. _He's still mourning too…_

"Hey, bud. We're going to be alright. Everything is going to be fine." Percy tried to sound reassuring, but was barely convincing himself.

Grover lifted his head and stepped away from his best friend.

"I know. It's just…tough to accept." Grover said as he regained control over his emotions.

"I understand friend. More than you realize…"

"Percy?" a deep, dignified voice called out to him.

"Chiron!" The centaur trotted over and shook the god's arm at the wrist. Leaning down so that only Percy could hear, Chiron whispered.

"I must speak with you, regarding the end of the battle and your new…self. The house. Five minutes."

Percy sighed, annoyed at the idea of once again having to go over his godhood. But, coming from someone who had lived through as much as Chiron had, any new info must be good info.

"Yes sir." the centaur turned to walk once more to the Big House, along with the dispersing demigods, leaving Percy to address his satyr friend. "Grover, we'll talk again in the morning. I just need to get through this meeting and get some sleep."

"Yeah…yeah okay." The goat legged boy then hobbled off, still stifling any sniffles that threatened to make themselves known.

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 **Well? What did yall think? I tried to add some humanity to these characters, set them apart, ya know? Please review, let me know how yall feel. Hopefully, by the next chapter, we'll be on a true schedule. Anyway, until next time. - K.C.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! So it's about time for another one, looks like!**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and thank you to everyone who read it! I really did not expect 10 people to read my stuff when I started posting, let alone almost 300! Authors on this site say it so much, but it's so true! All the readers and reviewers are what really make it worth writing!**

 **If you do review, and you have a question or are confused, at least at this point, expect a reply! I may have caught a few people off guard by replying to clarify something or answer questions. Just a heads up, I like to do that. It lets me be in direct contact with the people who read this stuff, as well as let me see how everyone feels, and gauge their thoughts.**

 **This chapter is a little longer than most of my others, but I hope it is worth it. I tried to convey some grittiness, which I personally hope continues to be a pattern. Anyway, enjoy and review, I always want to see what you guys think.**

 **And, of course, Rick Riordan owns anything and everything Percy Jackson. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Percy trudged towards the Big House, the place where his journey as a demigod had begun in earnest. Not much had changed in the many years that Percy had looked upon it. The sky blue paint and white trim were starting to chip away, and the weather vane was tarnishing a little. Otherwise, it was still the same as it had that fateful night four years ago.

"In the rec." Percy heard as he walked through the front door. Percy made his way to the back, only to find a crowd had already gathered within. Surrounding the ping pong table that acted as their meeting table, the different cabin counselors sat waiting for their friend. At the head of the table sat Chiron and Mr. D. To their right sat Malcolm, the recently promoted leader of Athena Cabin, followed by Clarisse from Ares, The Stoll brothers from Hermes, and Will Solace from Apollo. On his left were Jake Mason from Hephaestus, Drew Tanaka from Aphrodite, Pollux from Dionysus, and Miranda Gardiner from Demeter.

"Ah, now that Percy has arrived, we can begin," turning to address Percy, "My Lord…please, take a seat." Percy was not the only one who was surprised at Chiron's words. Murmurs and whispers began to fly through the room. Deciding to just move forward with what was asked, Percy found a stool behind him, to which he sat.

"To begin this meeting, I would ask you, _Perseus_ , to show your comrades the change. I feel that they will understand everything else better if that was gotten out of the way."

Percy was immediately anxious. It was one thing to reveal among other gods. It was a whole other thing entirely showing this to his friends.

"Sir, are you sure…"

"Yes…my Lord. Go ahead." Even Mr. D. gave an annoyed smile at the title, but Chiron felt obliged.

Deciding to listen to his former mentor, Percy stood, fully facing the group in front of him. In a quick flash of light, the new Perseus Jackson stood in front of them. His black eyes stared into every camper gathered. They gasped at his body, dissolving away, and his glistening armor, complimented by the scythe safely strapped to his back.

"Everyone, I present you _Perseus_ , the new god of Time, along with domain over the four primary elements, victory, loyalty, and…heroes."

There was a pause, a slight hesitance that kept the room quiet for one whole second. In that second, every heart beat could be heard, and a pen dropping would have been louder than a cannon. Once that second had ended, however, the room was so loud a cannon could not have been heard if it had been shot ten feet away.

"Oh my gods!" exclaimed the Stoll brothers, completely in awe.

"What the fuck! Why does someone like him always become the special one! What has he done that deserved _godhood_!" Clarisse was obviously furious, as the contempt seethed from her mouth.

The other counselors shared sentiments with either side of the spectrum, and everything in between. Only Malcolm stayed silent, staring at his now godly companion.

"Settle! Settle!" Chiron was having trouble controlling the demigods, awestruck, furious, or otherwise. Giving one look to Percy, Chiron nodded, sending a silent request for help.

Percy promptly unstrapped his scythe and drove the staff end into the concrete floor below him, causing a three-inch depression into the foundation. The sound cracked against the walls, and a pulse of energy pushed the gathered campers just enough to cause them to stumble. This got their attention. Percy then nodded back to Chiron.

"Silence! We must listen, no matter your personal feelings on the matter." The centaur flashed a menacing scowl towards Clarisse, who remained defiant.

Will spoke up, "Wait! But if Percy is a god, how are we even alive right now? As far as everyone knows, when a god shows their true form, it'll burn you up!"

Mr. D. decided to chime in on this subject, in order to answer the young Apollo child.

"Unlike the raw, unbridled power the other gods possess, including myself, Time is a slow burn. It's power truly lies in its longevity. Time will kill you eventually, as you grow old. There's no reason to speed up the process unnecessarily." He then cracked open a cold Diet Coke and remained quiet.

Chiron nodded at his colleague, before addressing Percy once more.

"Percy, as far as everyone within the camp knows, Kronos was defeated atop Mt. Olympus, at the cost of more lives of our friends and comrades. What I am going to ask of you now is going to be very difficult, but it is essential for those who were not there to witness. I'm going to ask you to recount the events that took place in the throne room."

Percy took a sharp breath. He had known eventually it would be required of him to tell the story. He and Grover were the only ones to make it out of that battle after all, and the satyr had spent half the time afterwards unconscious. He might as well get it out of the way now.

"We were fighting…"

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The sounds of metal on metal were deafening as Percy used what little energy he had left to fend off a Kronos possessed Luke, while Annabeth was keeping Ethan Nakamura at bay. Grover was off working support for them with his reed pipes, as grass was growing practically everywhere.

Percy was already anxious about their chances of holding out against the Titan, then he accidentally activated Hephaestus's throne defense programs, and everything just seemed to get worse. Granted, Kronos was shocked to his knees for a few moments, but in the confusion Annabeth rushed the Titan Lord, trying to reason with her friend who was all but completely gone. Unfortunately, the titan was still in control. With a quick backhand slap, Annabeth was hurled against the throne of her mother, barely conscious, with limbs bending at funny angles.

Seeing a chance, Ethan took a step towards the incapacitated girl, but then hesitated.

"Do it! Serve me!" the titan possessed teenager roared to his subject as he struggled to shrug off the smoke from his clothes and skin.

"Ethan!" Percy called, hoping to reason with the disenfranchised demigod. This was the only way to help Annabeth, as Percy was out of position to do anything physically. "This isn't you, and it's not what you are fighting for! Nemesis stands for balance, but if Kronos wins, the whole scale will be destroyed! Serve your mother, not him!"

Percy could see the conflict in Ethan's head, but before anything else could register, Ethan turned heel and brought his sword down onto the still hurting Titan. Instead of cutting into Kronos's neck, the blade shattered into pieces and the pieces flew back into the gut of the Son of Nemesis.

Ethan groaned as blood began flowing out of his abdomen. He took a few steps back before falling to his knees.

The pain seemed to subside from Kronos, as his anger fueled him enough to stand above his former lieutenant. "Worthless wretch!" Kronos then stomped hard on the floor, causing the brick floor to fall away into open air, along with Ethan Nakamura.

Percy tried to rush to Ethan's aide, but before he could get anywhere close, Kronos quickly threw up his hands, causing a light golden haze to surround everyone present. Percy now found himself slowly moving against Kronos's time field, trying to fight against the titan's powers and protect his friends.

"The knife, Percy...Hero…cursed blade…" Annabeth squeaked out as she tried to show Percy what she was seeing. In an instant, Percy realized what she was referring to. He was not the hero in the Great Prophecy, it was Luke! Rachel had been right.

Summoning what little strength he had left, Percy fought through the time field and grasped the knife. Taking monumental step after monumental step, Percy finally reached an oddly conflicted Luke, who was still smoldering. As a matter of fact, he had been smoldering and smoking for a long time. Something else was up.

"Percy…" Luke said, his voice straining against the control of the Titan. "Percy, I know what Annabeth is trying to say too. Kronos is almost ready…he's burning my body! Give me the knife. I…can stop him."

"Percy…" Grover warned. By now, he was working his way towards Annabeth, but it was obvious he was fighting the slowed time as well. "Percy…I don't like this…"

Against his better judgement, Percy slowly handed the knife to his former friend. Out of the corner of his eye, Percy could see Annabeth fight through pain to smile. They had figured it out. Had she not been in so much pain at that moment, she might have been beaming.

Luke began laboriously unstrapping a section of his armor to expose a small area of skin underneath his left arm. Just as the knife was to make contact with what was obviously his Achilles point, the unthinkable happened; Kronos came back.

"NO!" he roared monstrously, as a pulse of energy erupted from his body. Percy would have been knocked off his feet had he not stabbed Riptide into the floor just in time. Grover was not so lucky, as the blast sent him flying into Demeter's throne, after which he hit the floor, knocked out.

"Shut up the smart one!" Kronos roared, the titan's voice seeming incredibly hoarse.

Then with practiced ease, he flipped the knife in his hand, grasping it by the blade, and tossed it across the room. Time seemed to slow down even more than it already was, as Percy watched it fly through the air. The beaming smile suddenly stopped as the knife pierced through Annabeth's chest and sliced through her heart.

Percy's heart stopped. This wasn't real. That didn't happen.

"ANNABETH!"

There was something about the way she lay there, sprawled on the floor, blood seeping from her body, that broke something in Percy. Lifting Riptide over his shoulder, Percy roared a blood-drunk roar, full of anger and passion, and sliced clean into the Achilles Spot. Somehow, his blade kept moving, and once the swing was finished, the body that had been Luke was in two pieces, sliced from the left arm to right collarbone. The time field stopped. Percy didn't notice.

"Annabeth! Annabeth!" Percy ran to her, carelessly tossing Riptide across the room, while also barely noticing a knocked out Grover on the floor next to the throne of Demeter.

Percy slid next to Annabeth's body, quickly pulling this cursed blade from her chest and cradling her in both arms.

"P-Percy…" She whispered. Her body went limp.

"No. No no no no no! Annabeth! Annabeth stay with me! Stay with me!"

It was no avail as her head fell back, her eyes clouding as life left her forever. Tears streamed as he held her, rocking back and forth, willing her to stay, to not grow cold.

He had no clue how long he had sat there, but eventually he was roused to the world upon the arrival of a few victorious Olympians, accompanied by three very old looking women.

 _The Fates._

"What has happened here?" Zeus sounded about as incredulous as could be expected. In front of him lay the son of his brother, cradling the body of a daughter of Athena, along with an unconscious satyr, and the bisected body of their sworn enemy. Blood was pooling in the crevices of the floor, along with the blood surrounding the couple entangled on the ground.

"Percy?" Poseidon asked cautiously.

"Annabeth…" Athena's voice caught in her throat. Upon seeing the girl's body, Poseidon put a comforting hand on his rival's shoulder.

Before anything else could be said, the Fates shuffled to the forefront and interjected themselves.

"Time to mourn later…" Lachesis started.

"A void must be filled…" Clotho continued.

"Time must go on…" Atropos concluded.

Zeus was eerily calm. He could sense the severity of what had occurred, and the repercussions it would have should the void not be filled. He sighed. "Understood. If it is required, I grant it."

Percy was then lifted by an unseen force, which, sadly, ripped him away from Annabeth. Other nymphs quickly moved in his place to gather the remains of the two fallen combatants and the unconscious satyr.

As he tried to protest being separated from her, his skin began to boil. It felt as though every fiber of his body was on fire and there was nothing he could do about it. Silver light began seeping through cracks that were webbing through his skin. His eyes were clouding over themselves, but it was not death that was passing through him; it was something far more powerful.

When the pain had finally ceased, Percy lay on his hands and knees, panting and smoldering. He immediately felt different, most obviously because he was ten feet tall and completely naked. But inside, he felt…older. More ancient. It was a very uncomfortable feeling.

"What…what have you done to me?"

"The void has been filled…" Lachesis stated.

"Time will go on…" Clotho added.

"Stand before us, _Perseus,_ God of Time!" Atropos finished.

The shock of the revelation was too much for Percy's mind, no matter how much power it had recently acquired. As such, when asked to stand, Percy instead fainted…

* * *

"When I woke up, I was being treated by nymphs on Mt. Olympus, both for my injuries and to come to grips with newly being a god." Percy concluded his story. Mr. D. gave him an understanding nod; he had been in his shoes before.

It was silent within the room. No one knew what to say. Stunned, furious, sad. The mix of emotions silenced everyone. Where they supposed to be jealous of Percy's godhood, or impressed that he had essentially cut _through_ Achilles' Curse? And what about Annabeth's gamble? It was supposed to have worked…

"Thank you…Percy, for being there with my sister…" Malcolm had finally spoken, but this time it was not stoicism that had kept him silent, but the need to control emotion. His eyes were red, and he had choked his words out very heavily. His fists were clenched so tight they were turning white. It was easy to forget that, although every camper was different in their own way, everyone was related to a certain extent. He and Annabeth had been half-siblings.

Finally, breaking into a sad, forced smile, he continued.

"Whether you are Percy, Son of Poseidon, or…Perseus, Lord of Time, Cabin Six will always welcome you."

"We agree, Cabin 11 is always welcome, if you ever need a place to crash." Connor Stoll answered for his brother and his siblings in Hermes Cabin.

All eyes then fell on Clarisse, and by extension, Ares Cabin. It was no secret that there was still hostility between the children of the war god and Percy.

Finally, Clarisse took in a deep breath, and looked Percy directly in the eyes.

"Just because you are a god now, doesn't mean anyone will go easy on you. I won't say you can bunk with us, but if you need help, we've got you." She followed this statement with a very apparent frown that hid a sarcastic smile.

One by one, each counselor agreed, offering either aide to Percy, or their cabin as a home for the god. Even Malcolm had suggested they get to work immediately on designing and building a cabin for Percy himself, adding it to the long list of cabins they would build for the minor gods, which had been offered in exchange for the surrender of the demigods that had fought for Kronos. It had worked to a certain extent.

Percy's mood was brightened by the welcoming.

"Thanks guys. I don't really know what I'd do without you. And Malcolm, take your time on the cabin, I have a few places to stay right now, and I don't plan on adding campers anytime soon." He said with a warm smile.

Chiron stood to signal the end of the meeting. "Now, this business is addressed, we should get some sleep. There is much still to be done."

All the campers began to file out, with Percy heading back to his home, or one of them, rather. Tonight, home was Cabin 3, Poseidon Cabin. Percy knew he didn't really need sleep, but sleep was still something that could connect him with humanity.

Soon after falling asleep, Percy was awoken by a noise calling his name.

" _Perseus…_ " it whispered.

Opening his eyes, Percy found himself not inside of the cabin, but inside of a large, golden room. Pillars stood at each side of the room, giving it a Parthenon-esque appearance. Every bit of the walls, floor, and ceiling were solid marble. Looking at his hands, he saw the ever more familiar sight of his flesh dissipating, realizing he was in his god form.

Percy saw that the Golden light was coming from the center wall at the end of the room. An old man with a very white beard and very white hair sat in a large stone chair, examining what looked like an hourglass filled with silver sand. He was dressed in a large robe, it's fibers shining so brilliantly it gave the appearance of shifting sand.

"Good evening, Perseus. I have been expecting you." The man spoke to him, his deep voice reverberating throughout the hall, but he never looked away from his hourglass.

"Who are you?" Percy asked cautiously, slowly reaching for his scythe.

For the first time locking eyes with Percy, the man stood to his full height, easily dwarfing Percy even in his god form. He had to be no shorter than twenty or thirty feet.

"I am Chronos!"

* * *

 **So? What did y'all think? Also, heads up so that I don't get this question in the reviews, Kronos and Chronos ARE two different characters. I'll explain it more in the next chapter, but hopefully that will easy y'all's minds.**

 **As always, please review. Until next time. - K. C.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! Been a little while. Thanks to everyone who reviews, as always, y'all are awesome and the reason we authors write.**

 **Warning, the preface to this chapter is a little lengthy, so if you don't care, just skip right over it.**

 **Updates First!**

 **Confession TIME! I haven't been as active as I have wanted to be because, contrary to what my bio says, I am actually a high school student, and I graduate at the end of the week as I'm writing this. As you can imagine, it has been hectic and stressful, so I have not devoted as much time to writing as I would prefer.**

 **Also contributing to my absence, Rick Riordan once said that to be a great author you need to read a lot. So I have been reading a lot of Fanfics, doing research. I even started a new project that will go up on this account, but not for some time. It will be Mass Effect themed, so be on the lookout for when I post it. (P.S. if y'all know of great, and I mean A1, Mass Effect Fanfics, PM me to let me know. They are a guilty pleasure.)**

 **Also, in the near future, hopefully, I will be uploading my first Original Project onto my FictionPress account, same name as this one. I'll hopefully have more on that with the next chapter of TIC.**

 **Now, about this chapter.**

 **I had terrible writers block. It is my shortest chapter to date, purely because I couldn't find a way to mesh it with everything else I had planned, so I cut it at a decent ending point. This is a setup chapter, so to those of you who aren't huge fans of setup centered chapters (Picnic, I'm looking at you! Keep up the good work!) bear with me. We are about to get into the meat of this story, so to speak.**

 **Okay, this preface has gone on long enough. On to the chapter.**

 **Oh, and this is R. R.'s property. No Copyright Infringement intended.**

* * *

"I am Chronos!"

Percy immediately pulled his scythe free, falling into a defensive stance as he readied for an attack from what he perceived to be his old enemy.

"How are you here? I thought I sent you back to Tartarus where you belong!" Percy's voice was tense, filled with steel and poison as his hate rose to skin level.

"Silence!" Chronos said, dropping the hour glass he held onto the floor, upon which it shattered into a sea of glass and sand. Then, in what seemed like a blink of an eye, Percy found himself sitting on his butt, completely dazed and without Backbiter.

"You may be a brave one, even one worthy of my attention, but you jump to conclusions far too quickly." Percy saw that the old man who called himself Chronos had seated himself at a small table near his throne. The hourglass sat next to him on the table, damage free. "Nectar?" he asked the still confused god, holding up a small clay cup in offering.

Wary, Percy slowly took to his feet, and tiptoed to the table, never taking his eyes off of the Ancient. Still staring, he took the cup, gave it a sniff, then tasted the nectar. The usual taste of blue chocolate chip cookies was absent, which took Percy by surprise. Instead, it tasted like hot water, but with a slight dash of sugar. Either way, Percy decided he wasn't a fan.

"Not the flavor you were expecting? No worries, the nectar I brew is of a far different caliber than what you may be accustomed to. Even a god can only take small doses. I'd suggest sipping infrequently." As he said all of this, Percy caught a glimpse of his eyes. His irises were continually swirling, holding the same silver color the sand in the hourglass had been when Percy had first found himself in his current situation. It was almost hypnotizing.

"Take a seat, Perseus." Chronos said evenly.

Percy continued to stand, unsure about trusting anything this man would want to say.

"Let me try again," Chronos then spoke again, except this time, his voice was layered, with what felt like fifty extra voices over his own, each deeper in pitch than the last, " _TAKE A SEAT!_ "

Just as moments before, Percy blinked, only to find himself immediately seated opposite the giant in front of him, the cup of nectar resting in his palm.

"Now, let us start again. I am Chronos. I have been wanting to speak with you, Perseus." He said this evenly once again, stroking his silver beard.

"Sorry if I'm a little _apprehensive_ in talking to people named Kronos." Percy practically spat his words in Chronos's face.

A scowl immediately formed over the latter's once neutral face.

"Unfortunately for your nerves, my name is spelled C-H-R-O-N-O-S, not with a K. He was arrogant enough to even steal my name, changing the spelling to be original, how pathetic."

"So…what? You are like…the original god of Time?"

Chronos's entire expression immediately darkened. Percy knew from _many_ previous experiences what that face meant. _Disrespect_.

"I AM TIME." Upon hearing his words, Percy noticed a significant difference in everything around the room. The grains of sand in the hourglass began falling at a painfully slow rate, and the shifting lights within the room almost came to a complete stop. Chronos's eyes, however, swirled at a breakneck pace, the different colors blending into a smooth gray.

"I am older than your tiny mind can comprehend, godly or not. I am Protogenos! Primordial! Primeval!" His voice never rose octave, but the intensity with which he stated his credentials told Percy he was lucky enough to only be chastised.

"Sorry Mr.…er…Chronos. No disrespect intended." Percy quickly threw out. He knew enough about divines to know they loved appeasement.

"Save your apologies, they affect me not. The Titan once tried to appease my fury in much the same way."

Percy knew he shouldn't have been surprised, but he was actually taken somewhat aback. "Kronos was here before?"

"Of course. He was Lord of Time for many millennia. A fitting title for one hoping to even comprehend my power." The last sentence was added almost unconsciously, but with plenty of prideful smugness.

"Kronos was once a protégé of mine. I taught him the power of Time, and of the responsibilities needed to harness Time's potential. But he was arrogant, and foolish. Look now, he is no more." Chronos seemed almost disappointed.

"So…he is fully gone then? I thought he would just dissolve into Tartarus for a while until he decided to try again."

"That _is_ what happened. I rectified the situation. As soon as his essence entered the pit of Tartarus, I gathered and tossed him within my father, Chaos. This was why you were given godhood so quickly after he was defeated. This is why the Fates were hasty in replacing his domain. It is because the Titan you knew as Kronos has ceased to exist." Chronos said all of this matter-of-factly, taking a moment to sip his top shelf nectar.

Percy was a little more shocked than he expected, mostly because he was having trouble understanding the concept of "ceasing to exist".

Percy was beginning to understand now what was really going on. Narrowing his eyes, Percy addressed the Protogenos directly.

"What do you want from me?" Percy spoke evenly, but there was more than enough of a veiled threat hidden behind the neutral words.

Chronos pondered his words for a moment, before rising to his feet, absently walking towards his throne.

"The void of Time might be filled, but there is still unrest within the world. Conflicts of this magnitude between divines do not go unnoticed by certain forces in the world. Especially between our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Some see it as a pity, a waste. Others…an opportunity. What do you know of Doom?"

Percy was now more confused than ever.

"What? Like the Marvel dude?"

Chronos's expression darkened dramatically.

"Hardly. Moros. The Doom according to the Greeks. My nephew, born to my sister Nyx. Such a detestable lot she pushed out. Maybe not Thanatos, though…" he trailed off, shaking his head at the thought of his kin.

"Chronos…we just finished a war. You're saying another one is right around the corner?" Percy was incredulous.

"Worse. Should Moros have his way, it would most likely bring about another Age. That means the end of the world as you know it. Each Age ends in a cataclysm, and somehow Mankind persists, like Deucalion and Pyrrha, but that was usually through the grace of Zeus. Mankind has not had to worry about Primordial gods before." Chronos sat once more, cupping his hands together, before addressing the Time god directly.

"Unlike the other Protogenos, I tend to pay attention more. I find I quite like this Age, so much chaos and peace at the same time, it's quite amusing. But, if Moros should begin to rise once more, all of this…" he paused to pick up the hourglass that had been resting on the table, "…goes away." The hourglass dissolved like sand in the wind at his words.

"Why can't you do anything? What chance would us demigods have against primor…" Percy caught his words too late. Chronos simply smiled.

"Ah. But you are no longer a demigod. You have access to far different places, far different abilities. Might as well use them. But just as it is unwise for gods to openly fight each other, so it is for the Protogenos. Except, we embody basic principles of the world. It would be far more destructive should I fight Moros."

It made sense to Percy, remembering the storms that would brew when Zeus was mad. It was difficult to imagine _Time_ fighting _Doom_.

"Okay, what should I do then?"

"First, bury your dead. There is time enough for that. Once this is done, go to the Oracle at that camp you insist to call home, and there, I will speak once more. Do this quickly though. Time is of the essence. We are of the essence." Chronos then snapped his fingers, and Percy woke with a start in his bed.

It was still dark. Looking to his clock, it was only 3 AM. _So, it was all a dream then?_

Looking to his side table, however, he saw Backbiter in full scythe form, stabbed through the top drawer of the table. Getting up to investigate, Percy found a slip of parchment pinned to the desk with Backbiter.

 _We are of the Essence._

"Well then," Percy said out loud to himself, "guess there is still work to be done." He then turned around, and returned to bed.

* * *

 **Not long, I know, but important set up in the long run, trust me.**

 **Anyway, what did y'all think? Remember to review. See ya next time. - The K. C.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone. As always, I want to start by thanking everyone that reviews. Your support (and critiques) really inspire authors to keep going. It makes it all worth it.**

 **I know it's been a little bit since y'all heard from me, but life has been pretty hectic since I graduated high school, so this took longer to write than I intended. But, for those who don't know, I did write something to tide y'all over, a quick vignette called _Across the Sea_ , just a Mass Effect story that popped into my head one day that I had to put down in words. It's real short, but I'm proud of it. If you feel like it, maybe give it a once over :).**

 **This chapter is my longest so far, and I hope you'll like it. The ball is starting to really roll, so to speak. We just had some business to take care of first.**

 **As always, Percy Jackson is the property of Rick Riordan. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

When morning came, Percy got up, dressed and walked to the Pavilion for breakfast. As he approached, a smell met his nose, unlike anything he had ever smelled in his life. It was sweet, smoky, and salty all at one time. It made his mouth water intensely, then stop as if satisfied. Percy was very curious to see what it was that had been cooked this morning that could smell so delicious.

Before Percy could see what the food was, let alone get any, Chiron called to him from his table, which he shared with Mr. D.

"Here, Percy. Have a seat, grab a bite." Chiron held out his hand to the table, which was covered in all manner of breakfast food: eggs, sausage, biscuits, crepes, pancakes, etc. There were even a hot sauce bottles of nectar, and ambrosia cubes.

Deciding being a god could have some perks, at the moment being early access to food, Percy sat and filled a plate. Just as he was about to dig into his eggs, Percy caught a whiff of the magically amazing smell again. He looked up, attempting to sniff the air, to find its source.

"Ha! You even have sacrifices now!" Mr. D. guffawed.

Percy looked at the camp director quizzically, then looked to the sacrificial fire, where the campers gave some of their food to be burned in sacrifice to the gods. Grover was at the fire now, tossing a sausage and a few biscuits into the fire. Studying his friend, Percy could have sworn he saw Grover mouth the word _Perseus_ before finding his seat. Not long after, the smell returned, just as amazing as before.

"The heavenly smell of burned sacrifice. Nothing on Earth like it." Mr. D. beamed as he saw his son Pollux burn offerings to his father. Moments later, he took a deep breath, reveling in the wondrous smell.

Percy was momentarily dumb founded, unable to grasp the idea that some of his friends were sacrificing to him! Then, just as he had the night before when he was in the presence of Chronos, Percy realized he wasn't a demigod anymore. He was a full god.

All of a sudden, Percy wasn't super hungry anymore. His head was still turning from visiting Chronos last night, and the sacrifice realization had kind of ruined is appetite, even if he wasn't sure why.

Deciding to get the ball rolling, if only to think about something else, Percy turned towards Chiron.

"So, what needs to be done today? More rebuilding?"

Chiron frowned. "No. Today…we need to burn the shawls."

Percy returned the frown, knowing exactly what that meant. He should have expected it considering what Chronos had told him the night previous, but a small part of him was still hoping it was a very vivid dream, and that he had been sleepwalking when he might have stabbed Backbiter into his dresser. Alas, this was confirmation if he ever needed it.

"If you would…I would ask that you would help us build the pyres. We have the wood and the manpower, but as you can probably tell, we are also still licking our wounds…" Chiron trailed off as Percy noticed he had been asked permission. _This godhood thing is starting to get annoying…_

"Of course, Chiron," was all Percy could choke out before he hastily returned his attention to picking at his food, eating just enough to not appear suspicious.

Finally, having had enough of dodging conversation and pretending to eat, Percy got up, informed Chiron he would be at the Amphitheater shortly, and returned to his cabin.

As soon as he reached the door, Percy hurried to the porch and retched the little amount of food he had eaten back into the grass.

"I guess gods can throw up too…"

 _Well of course they can! You ever hear of how your dad got out of Kronos's stomach?_

Percy jolted upright at the familiar voice.

"Blackjack? That you?"

The Pegasus whinnied, _Yeah boss! Ain't seen ya really since Rachel kidnapped me to bring her back here!_

Percy mocked a frown, "I'm a god now, Blackjack. It'll be _Lord_ from now on."

 _Gotcha Boss! I'll be right on that!_

A smile crept onto Percy's face as his features softened. It was good to see his friend again. Percy walked back to the steps of his cabin, placing a hand in the mane of this friendly pegasus. "Well, what have you been up to? What's got you out of the stables?"

 _The lovely Oracle Ms. Dare needs a ride here, and I can't keep a lady from travelling in style, can I?_

Percy chuckled, "No you sure can't, bud. I swear you're starting to like her more than me."

After his moment of happiness, a shade fell back over Percy.

"Something's going on, Blackjack. There's more stirring. I…I don't think we're in the clear yet."

 _Well Boss, let's be honest. I don't think we're ever in the clear! But, I mean, you beat Kronos! You can do it again, I bet!_

"Yeah, but this is bigger than Kronos. Older too…"

 _Ah shut ya trap,_ the black Pegasus retorted, _stop moping and you'll fix this, Boss!_

Once again, Percy smiled at his friend's directness.

"Okay. Yeah, I'll take care of it. Thanks bud. I…uh…have to go now. Something that has to get started soon."

 _Hey yeah, no worries, me too. Don't want to keep a beauty waiting, my LORD!_ The last words drooled from the animal, who seemed to pantomime tasting the words as they came out. _Nah Boss works better. Oh, and, ya know, you a god and all, might do better to walk around looking grown, ya know? I mean, Artemis can get away with it, but she don't have to worry about impressing nobody._

The Pegasus then whinnied in a laugh, before taking off back into the sky, as Percy smiled and shook his head, face palming in the process.

"Still though…" Percy shook the thoughts from his head as he walked back to the Amphitheater to begin helping build the pyres. Hopefully, the work would keep his thoughts at bay.

* * *

Percy had spent the good part of the day volunteering with the other campers in building the pyres for their fallen friends. Thinking back on it, he probably could have just used some hidden god power to build them quickly. That would have saved some time at least. But there was something cathartic about having to physically lift and place the logs and the sticks and the timber. It let him know he was still human, figuratively of course. The godhood thing was beginning to get on his nerves. It complicated everything.

Now dusk had arrived, and the sun was kissing the horizon. Percy walked behind Malcolm, each holding a handle on a ceremonial cloth stretcher. On the stretcher was a body engulfed in a silver shawl. The emblem of and owl emblazoned the sheet covering the deceased's chest. Behind them, in single file, dozens of campers carried out the same deed, some stretchers with equally stiff bodies, some only with limp shawls bundled together for those who could not be found.

Percy's eyes were listless. It was not every day you bury a friend, even less often when you carry them to their resting place. Yet here She was. Gone. _Snap out of it…_

Percy was trying to remain calm, keep his composure, if for no one else than his own sake. Now was the time to be strong, for those around him. For himself.

The pyres had been built in a three tier system. The bottom layer was purely for structural support, cross beams and what not. The second tier held the majority of the kindling that would start the fire. The third and final tier would hold up the body, with some kindling acting as a cushion to jumpstart the fire once it reached that level.

Reaching the center pyre, Percy and Malcolm carefully climbed the steps to place her at the top in the kindling. The other campers quickly followed suit. Malcolm climbed down, while Percy remained. Torches were passed to each of the campers that remained on the pyres, while the entirety of the rest of the camp gathered to bear witness. Percy then reached into his pocket and pulled out two golden drachmas, and placed them on Annabeth's sheet covered eyes. As if on cue, the other torch bearers did the same. As the sun dipped below the edge of the Earth, Percy raised his torch and spoke loudly, his voice occasionally breaking with emotion, while keeping his eyes on the body in front of him.

"Tonight…we…we put to rest our friends…our family, that gave their lives so that we could win our fight against Kronos. Remember their sacrifice. May they rest in peace," there was a pause, "May they live forever…"

Without another word, Percy lowered the torch and dropped it into the kindling pile on the second tier of the pyre, below the body. Watching as the dry grass and wood began to combust, Percy slowly climbed down and rejoined his friends. Grover stood to his right, Juniper on his arm.

Much to Percy' surprise, Rachel walked up and joined the group at Percy's left. She was wearing a loose T-Shirt, with form fitting blue jeans to compliment the look. She definitely didn't look like she was attending a funeral. Turning to acknowledge her, Percy was quickly embraced in a grieving hug, feeling Rachel sob into his shoulder. Shaking off his initial surprise, her returned the hug to comfort his friend, all the while keeping his eyes on the fire in front of him.

* * *

The moon was now fully out, on its way back down to end the night. It was probably around three o'clock in the morning. The fires where almost completely cinders now, and almost all of the campers had filed back to their cabins for some much needed sleep. Curfew had been lifted for the night when it seemed no one had left the amphitheater by lights-out.

Grover and Juniper had decided to call it a night and left together, mumbling something to each other about if a tree counted as a house. As Percy moved to return to his cabin, Rachel grasped his hand, holding him in place.

"Rachel…what…"

"Shh…follow me," she whispered hurriedly, before practically dragging the Time god behind her, until they reached the Big House. Percy was very confused as to what was going on, but every time he attempted to protest, she hurriedly hushed him and continued on.

Quietly, the two entered the Big House and ascended into the attic. The room had been significantly cleaned since Rachel's taking the Oracles' spirit. All of the ancient memorabilia was _neatly_ packed into boxes in the corner. This had been followed by an extensive cleaning of the entire attic: dusting, mopping, etc. Now it was almost homey, though maybe not to Rachel's definition. A small pallet of blankets and a pillow were neatly made on the floor, for Rachel's use in case she ever chose to stay in the room when she would visit the camp. She almost never did.

Once the trap door had finally been shut, Percy felt it was safe enough to address the issue.

"Okay, Rachel. No more running around and no more shushing me! What is going on?" Percy whispered as loudly as he thought appropriate.

Rachel responded by beginning to lift her shirt.

"Hey! Hey! Hold on…" Percy was very flushed at the moment.

"Oh shut it Percy. I'm the Oracle, remember? No distractions," Rachel responded to him while removing her pants, before adding under her breath, " _unfortunately…_ "

Tossing her clothes to the pallet, Rachel, stark naked, addressed Percy once again, internally reveling in seeing him subtly squirm at her comfortableness of the situation, particularly her lack of _anything_ on underneath.

"I can't have anything covering my body for this to work, so you can stop pretending _not_ to ogle at my breasts now. It's not convincing anyone." Percy flushed such a shade of red, one might think he was boiling.

Rachel then pulled a marker from her pocket and drew a perfect circle around herself, before sitting cross legged in the center of the circle. She then took the marker and dotted the palms of her hands one time, before tossing the marker to the pallet next to her shirt. Percy continued to stand stupidly in the corner.

"Okay," Rachel finished her work and looked up to Percy, "Before I start, I need to confess. I know about the _friend_ you met last night. Besides the funerals, He's the one who sent me here." In response to Percy's quizzical look, Rachel turned as far as she could and lifted her hair to reveal a sideways hourglass tattooed at the top of her neck, where her spine met her skull.

"It feels weird saying Lord Chronos in a good way, but it's true. I'm a…I guess agent would be a good word to use. He contacted me soon after I took on the Oracle's spirit, explained the entire situation to me and how I could fit into it to help. So I immediately jumped on. Now, I have a message for you."

As soon as the last words left her mouth, her arms were violently stretched at her sides, the dots on her palms glowing a brilliant shade of green. Her eyes rolled back into her head and began to glow the same color. Her hair floated into the air with a mind of their own. When she spoke, it was not the usual raspyness of the Oracle, but a clear, deep masculine voice, with undertones of her unique feminine voice.

"Ah, Perseus, you finally have contacted me. I trust _My_ oracle has filled you in on her involvement?"

Percy was taken aback by the whole situation, but hesitantly answered.

"Yeah, she told me she is an agent of yours. And what do you mean _your_ oracle? She holds Delphi, not you!"

"Yes she does hold Delphi, but with the tattoo I placed on her, Delphi conveniently falls asleep when I need young Rachel here to contact either me or one of my associates, which in this case, means you," Chronos said through Rachel.

"I…I don't know how I feel about this. I mean, my allegiance is with the Olympians!"

"I'm not asking you to work against them. Besides, this situation is far bigger than they could be of use, ironically. I'm asking you to work _around_ them. I cannot enter your physical plane. My power would destroy the body and soul of anything within hundreds of miles. So you will act for me. First, you must travel to a small shop only a few miles south of Olympus. Hannigan's Watches. The man who owns the shop is another agent of mine. He will direct you to your first target. We must defeat Moros's support base before we can confront him."

As the protogenos's words registered in Percy's head, he gasped, "You…you want me to kill his supporters?"

"No…besides, the majority of his supporters are lesser gods. Much harder to kill. No. Concern yourself only with this first objective. Go to the shop. Understood?"

"Uh…yeah, I guess." Percy was actually more confused than ever.

"And take young Rachel with you. She could be useful; in case I have need of contacting you again. Goodbye Perseus. The world depends on your actions now." In a huff, the light faded, and Rachel crumbled to the floor, unconscious. Percy rushed to collect her, barely keeping her from slamming her head into the floor.

Carefully picking her up, Percy walked her over to the pallet and tucked her in, before doing the favor of folding her clothes neatly and placing her marker next to them. Then, without a word, Percy left the attic, then the house, making his way to his cabin.

Upon reaching the railing, Percy felt all of his confusion and stress well up inside of him again, as he retched up his stomach once more.

"I need some sleep…" He said wearily once he was done, before making his way to his bed.

 _I'll think about all of this tomorrow_ , he thought, before adding, _Let's hope no dreams…_

The last thought made him chuckle slightly.

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 **So...what did y'all think? What do y'all think will happen next? Let me know, so make sure to please please please review.**

 **Until next time. - The K. C.**


	6. Story Update

Hey everyone. Long time no see. I know its been forever, around a year and a half actually. I had a lot of stuff going on, and the last time I tried to sit down and write, my entire manuscript file was corrupted. This pretty much crushed my resolve, and destroyed my love of writing for a while. But recently I found a back up that I had made on my girlfriend's computer almost a year ago that we totally forgot about. So now I'm back. I cant say I will publish regularly, as a matter of fact I dont now when I will post something again. I started picking back up with the next chapter of TIC, so it could be up tonight, it could be up tomorrow, it could be up in March. I honestly dont know. But I just want to let yall know that this story is not dead, my account is not dead, and I'm not gonna take 18 month breaks anymore, at least not until TIC is finished completely. Thanks for reading this long ass update. I'm going to delete this update once I post either the next TIC chapter or the one after that, just so that anyone who cares to can read it. Until next time.

\- K. C.


	7. Chapter 6

**Ok. Here we are, back in the saddle after an unplanned hiatus. I hope you guys like this chapter, I tried to tap back into the inspiration and writing style I had from the last time I spent any time on it. If it isn't as great, I understand. I'm still trying to get back into the groove of writing and refinding my muse for it, so I may still be out of shape, so to speak.**

 **This chapter has been in the making for almost six months at this point. It was the last chapter I started before my files were corrupted, so I had to try to piece back together what my ideas had been. I hope it worked out well. All rights to Riordan.**

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Percy and Rachel left early the next morning. Light was just beginning to peak over the horizon, and the dew was still landing on the grass. Neither cared to explain where they were going, much less why. If Percy was going to take down this support base of Moros, then he needed as little attention as possible.

Deciding that now would be a good time to practice his instant-god-traveling power, the two met on the beach, mostly for convenience, but also for Percy's comfort.

Rachel had a fully packed backpack with her, including fresh clothes, a small amount of toiletries, her magic marker, and a sleeping bag. Percy smirked at her as she met him on the coast.

"What? I come prepared for anything," She replied proudly.

"Whatever," Percy chuckled. He hadn't brought anything with him, figuring there was nothing he needed.

Grasping Rachel's hands, Percy closed his eyes to concentrate. Despite picturing in his mind the streets of New York City, he couldn't help but catch the scent of the ocean next to him. For just a moment, he could feel the water on his skin, the nudge of the waves, the taste of the salt. This was replaced all to quickly by the unmistakable scent of smoke and fire.

The two looked up quickly to see the entire block engulfed in flames. Sprinting around the corner, Percy quickly noticed a sign on the ground among the pieces of the burned and now partially collapsed building. Painted on the wooden sign, in large, stylized red letters, "Hannigan's".

"Fuck!" Percy yelled as he ran up to the door and ripped it off of its scorched hinges. Once inside, he quickly saw the now charred body of what appeared to be a man. Grabbing the man, Percy drug him out of the building and onto the waiting sidewalk.

Once the man was on the pavement, Percy looked back to the fire in time to see something large fly from one of the second story windows, before bursting into a thick cloud of smoke. Rachel's voice brought Percy back to the scene at hand.

"Percy, there's too much going on right now, we need to move!"

Percy regarded her distantly for a moment.

"You're right, there is too much going on right now." He then stood, closed his eyes, and concentrated until the overwhelming silence deafened him. Opening his eyes, he saw that everything had stopped. The birds were stopped midflight. The flames ceased to spread. No wind moved in the air, no heat was felt from the sun.

Percy walked slowly to Rachel. Though he had frozen time before, this was the first time he was actually taking a moment to inspect it. He could sense that everything in her body had stopped, no pulse, no heartbeat, nothing. She should be dying, but she simply wasn't.

It felt…interesting.

Percy shook his head, clearing the daze from his mind and returning to the task at hand. He placed his hand on Rachel's shoulder. In an instant, a thin golden wave ran through her body, releasing her from Time's firm grip and joining her back with Percy. Rachel audibly gasped in a breath of air.

"Per…Percy…" Rachel stammered, trying to understand what had just happened.

"I froze time, it'll give us a chance to work."

Rachel caught a look in Percy's eyes. Though they were in their human form, they seemed tinted, like she was looking at them in black and white. The sea green was muted, almost greying. Looking from his eyes to his body, she could tell he was dissolving slightly.

"Percy, are you okay? Your god form is starting to burn through…"

"I'm fine." Percy cut her off as he knelt to inspect the body. Rolling it over, he found what he was hoping for: a sideways hourglass tattoo, just like the one on Rachel, in the exact same spot. It could have easily been missed due to the charred nature of the skin, except for the fact that it was dimly glowing the same brilliant green color as Rachel had during her trance.

 _I wonder…_

Percy placed his hand on the mark and concentrated. Everything remained paused, however Rachel was frozen once again. Pulling his hand away, Percy noticed the mark was gone from the body's neck, and had now transferred itself to his palm, however, it was now no longer sideways, but upright. Percy snapped his fingers, once again bringing Rachel back to his plane of existence.

"Will you please _stop_ freezing me in time?" Rachel asked exacerbated, as she was feeling the same disorienting feeling of falling in and out of time.

"Come here, we have something. Grab my shoulder." Percy commanded lightly. Rachel rolled her eyes and complied. Once she had grabbed onto his shoulder, Percy willed the hourglass tattoo to absorb into his palm.

"Hold on tight," Percy warned as he allowed his godlike form to emerge. Rachel yelped as she was hoisted ten feet into the air, quickly grabbing hold of Percy's dissipating neck to keep from falling, placing her footing into one of the grooves in his celestial armor to support herself. She noticed his charcoal eyes were quickly following something she couldn't.

"What do you see?" she asked with a small amount of trepidation.

"Everything. I will show you." Percy then allowed a wisp from his hand to take shape as a cloud in front of the two, before dissipating into the air.

Percy then swiped his hand through the air, just like one would to swipe across their phone screen. In an instant, the scene around them began to speed in reverse as their scene shifted them inside the shop. To Rachel it seemed like a movie with a 360-degree camera.

Finally, Percy stopped the shifting the scene and allowed it to play out.

In front of them, seemingly oblivious to their presence, sat a man at the front counter, busily working on a time-piece that looked absolutely _ancient_. The man seemed middle aged, with a bushy mustache and almost comically thick glasses.

At the door, a tall man entered through the front door. He wore a black fedora hat low on his head, to match his equally ominous trench-coat and black trousers. Everything about the newcomer spelled suspicion.

"Good morning sir…" the man at the counter began with a smile, "how may I be of service to you today?"

The newcomer walked up to the counter, never making eye contact. "Oh, I don't need anything, just leaving a message for Time…"

The shopkeeper was immediately on his guard, "Moros. You are not welcome here. You know that. Time will never bow to you."

The man raised his gaze to meet the shopkeeper, revealing his eyes to be completely pitch black, with red craters scattered throughout the pupil, giving them the appearance of burning coals.

"Hannigan. I believe I have informed you many times before, I am not your enemy. Your master deceives you. I'm simply here to talk," Moros gave Hannigan a smirk that dripped with poison, before beginning to pace throughout the shop, "plus I obviously can't actually be here. You know that. The entire state of New York would be flattened. No, this agent is…expendable, and he serves his purpose."

Unperturbed, Hannigan puffed his chest, summoning all the courage he could muster, "There will be no talking. A change has occurred, and a new champion has been chosen. And once he is on your trail, you will realize your mistake."

Moros stopped his pacing and turned to face Hannigan, "Ah yes. I've felt rumblings that Kronos was no more. Perseus has taken his place no less," Moros stopped to inhale a deep breath, before turning to face the exact spot Percy and Rachel were currently standing, "I can sense his presence at this very moment."

The tension in the room was suffocating. Moros approached the displaced Time god, sighing, "Time god, listen and learn. Do not let yourself be deceived. Let time flow, it moves at its own pace. You cannot force its hand. However…" Moros paused to take a deep breath, before turning back to face the shopkeeper, "…everyone is doomed."

In an instant, the body Moros was inhabiting crumbled to pieces, leaving an oily shadow in its place. Once the shadow opened its eyes, the coals for pupils began to burn brighter, until it spit out a burst of flame that immediately engulfed Hannigan. His screams were brief. Over Percy's shoulder, Rachel gasped and covered her mouth, trying to keep from screaming.

The shadow then dropped onto all fours and crawled up to the second story window, before bursting through the glass and flying away, its arms replaced with wings. In an instant, the scene stopped, with Percy and Rachel being dragged back to their place outside of the building, everything around them still frozen in place.

Percy reverted to his human form, allowing Rachel to shakily stand on her own. Turning to face her, Percy let out a breath, allowing time to continue flowing around them. "What do you think?" He asked, trying to make sense of what he had heard.

Rachel hesitated for just a moment, "I think we need to contact Lord Chronos. He'll know what to do."

"Right. Let's get you somewhere you can get ready."

Percy pulled her tight against him and imagined his old room in Gabe Ugliano's former apartment. Why this was the first place that came to mind, he wasn't sure. But it made sense.

Since Gabe's 'disappearance', and the Jacksons' moving out, the place remained abandoned. The landlord couldn't find a renter, so he had simply boarded the place up and pretended it didn't exist. All the furniture and appliances may be gone, but the smell hadn't. As soon as the two appeared in what had been the living room, their senses were absolutely assaulted by the odor left by years of greasy food, beer, and cigars. For Percy, being a god, this was accompanied by a new scent. The scent of murder and death, and of course he knew why. He also frankly didn't care.

"What is this place?" Rachel asked, furrowing her nose at the faint but present odor.

"This was my childhood home," Percy let her go as they took in their surroundings, "It belonged to my old stepdad. His mortal odor was so putrid it could mask even my strong, demigod scent. My mother married him for that reason."

Percy waited while Rachel undressed and prepared her communication ritual. He didn't look away from her this time. Not that he was trying to peek at her, nor that he truly wanted anything from her. He stared like a person would while waiting for a video to load. Simply waiting for the preparation to be over.

"Percy! Can you hear me?"

Percy was jolted from his mind, evidently zoned out, by Rachel. She was ready and waiting, her circle ready and her body marked.

"Percy…you okay?" her voice was full of concern. Concern. Emotion. Strange.

Percy shook his head. "Yeah…yeah, I'm all right. I just feel off. Still getting used to some of the godhood stuff. Let's get to it."

Rachel still looked concerned nodded. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, before her arms were once again violently stretched out, the green glow returning to her eyes, and Chronos' voice returning.

"Moros has made his first move. This is troubling."

"How do we fight him if we can't identify his powerbase and his supporters? How can we fight him if he's killing your agents?" Percy's blood was beginning to boil. He was beginning to earn a short fuse in his godhood, he realized.

Chronos raised Rachel's hand in order to quiet Percy.

"Patience, Perseus. Panic gives Moros power. We will simply move on to your next task. I have another agent, this time in a small town in Kansas known as Henshaw. Go here. You will know who to talk to. He won't be very difficult to find." Chronos chuckled after the last comment.

After these last words, and without warning, Chronos exited Rachel's body, who collapsed to her side, her body spent.

Percy was less than enthused by this abrupt departure.

"That's it? That's all you have for us? For fucks sake…" Percy sighed, placing his face into his hands.

Percy then rose and walked to his unconscious companion. Ignoring her nude figure, he reached behind her to her pack and collected her sleeping bag, opening it out on the floor, before collecting his friend and placing her into her bed roll.

"Chivalrous yet celibate. Very intriguing."

Percy turned quickly, already reaching for his scythe, prepared to strike any threat that could be facing him. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of a middle-aged man leaning in the entry way of the living room. His suit, while wrinkled, looked fairly expensive on his portly body. His head, balding with a small amount of wispy, greying hair, looked greasy in the pale light entering through the doorway.

Percy could have looked past everything, could have assumed this was just some squatter or homeless person unintentionally spying on him. Percy could have understood all of this, if it weren't for his eyes, which glowed with a pale purple light. He had no pupils.

"Come Perseus. I want to have a conversation."

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 **Review and share. Hopefully I'll be back in less than a year and a half this time.**


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